The Other Real Thing
by yumi michiyo
Summary: Elsa can speak nine languages. Elsa can play five musical instruments. But Elsa can't understand her sister Anna, and the way she feels about her. Modern college AU oneshot. Elsa/Anna pairing. Rated for content both existing and implied.


**Author's Note**: Giftfic for **4mation**, who is awesome and utterly fabulous and absolutely ruthless when it comes to demanding Elsanna from me. Enjoy, you horrible, horrible person (in the best way possible!).

* * *

They made an interesting pair on campus; feisty, bubbly Anna and dignified, calm Elsa. The sisters were roommates and best friends, nearly always seen in each other's company.

Anna, three years younger, had campaigned relentlessly to share a room with her big sister when it was her turn to come to university, completely disregarding any suggestions to 'mingle with people her own age'.

"You spent all those years at boarding school, Elsa," the redhead had declared, "so we've got loads to catch up on!"

Elsa had tried, but quickly discovered it was nigh impossible to dissuade Anna once she had made up her mind on something.

And so Elsa had applied for her first double room in her schooling life when classes began in the fall.

Already three years into her four-year Architecture course, the older sibling was well on track to graduating with first-class honours – and if her professors' comments were anything to go by, stood an excellent chance of being valedictorian.

Anna, however, quickly disappointed those who had been expecting a younger copy of her sister by being much less academically gifted.

However, she more than made up for it by just being Anna; friendly, lively, and brave, she quickly became one of the most popular girls on campus.

Much to her chagrin, Elsa was absolutely terrified by her.

Having shown signs of intellectual giftedness as a young child, Elsa had been sent to special institutes from an early age and was home infrequently – or sometimes not at all.

Elsa could speak nine languages. She could play five musical instruments. She could sing, dance, play chess on a Grandmaster level, and hold her own in intellectual debate against nearly all adults.

The only thing Elsa couldn't do was understand her sister.

After years of talking to a blurry face on her computer screen and the pale, blonde stranger that came into her life infrequently, Anna was still determinedly attached to her big sister.

And so, when Elsa decided she had enough of being a special case and opted to attend a smaller, lesser-known university, Anna jumped at the chance to apply for a spot there as well.

To the older girl, Anna was a labyrinthine puzzle, wrapped up into one small feisty package. She was almost never found in one place, being equally happy playing touch rugby with Adam, causing general havoc in the dorm kitchenette with Rapunzel, and mucking about in the martial arts dojo with Mulan.

Elsa, on the other hand, preferred to spend her days working quietly in the studio, and her free time curled up in the library with a good book.

The sisters were polar opposites personality-wise. Elsa found it disturbingly fascinating. Anna couldn't care less.

What came as another big surprise to Elsa was the fact her little sister openly batted for the other team – which was a big disappointment to the male student body.

Anna quickly gained a reputation; she dated nearly all the eligible women on campus, from dreamy bookworm Belle to practical, no-nonsense Tiana, but never seemed to settle down with any steady girl.

Bu most of the time, Anna could be seen hovering around her older sister like an overexcited asteroid in orbit – usually talking nonstop.

And thus today was an ordinary day for the pair. Elsa, calmly crossing the campus quad, was being trailed by Anna and her flailing arms. Now and then, the blonde girl shot an amused look at her sister, who was too immersed in the story of her last disastrous date to pay attention.

"… so then when the check came, she took out her phone and started typing away! And she handed it to me and said, "Your share works out to be $45.90, plus taxes and tips". Can you believe that?" huffed Anna indignantly.

Elsa smiled shyly. "She assumed you were going Dutch?"

"Exactly! God, I know the rules when dating girls are different, but I think if you ask a girl out, at least have the decency to pay for her!"

At this juncture, they had reached their lecture hall. Both girls made a beeline for their usual seats at the back of the theatre. While Elsa sat primly in her seat and took out her notes, her younger sister flopped into her seat with a noise like air escaping from a balloon. The blonde girl sighed.

"So what happened afterwards?" prompted Elsa, and then added, "do I want to know?"

Anna chuckled mirthlessly. "What happened? I told Ursula exactly what I thought of her and her penny-pinching ways, and then force-fed her my dessert." Her face lit up at the memory. "It was perfect. She was just standing there, with pie on her face, and everybody around us was quiet, and then this piece of apple slid down her face and went splat on the floor! God, I haven't laughed so hard since I went on a drunken joyride with Ariel – that girl can _really_ drive."

"I'm afraid to ask about _that_ time," said Elsa dryly. "But wait, you threw apple pie at her? At an expensive restaurant?"

Anna sniffed. "Actually, I'm not even sure it was pie, it was some fancy French dessert. The only thing I recognized in there were apples. Because that's what slid off her face. Well, whatever, we paid _way_ too much for it. I say_ we_ because that's what dear Ursula wanted. And also, on hindsight, I wish I hadn't. Flung it at her, I mean. I was wearing my best dress and now it's stained. The cleaning bills are gonna be pricey."

Elsa, much to her amazement, was actually being drawn away from her notes to listen to her sister's monologue. Nevertheless, she kept her head down, staring at the words on the paper without actually reading.

"Should've known better than to go on a revenge date," she continued, slumping forward over the little desk. "It seemed like the perfect thing at the time to get back at Ariel for that disastrous, disastrous swim date…"

Right on cue, Anna's male best friend Kristoff appeared before Anna could continue rambling. "Hey, feisty pants," he grinned, ruffling Anna's hair in friendly greeting. "Hey, Elsa."

"Hello, Kristoff."

Anna growled – literally growled – and snapped at his hand, prompting the hasty withdrawal of said hand. "I hate it when you do that to my hair," she muttered.

"It doesn't make much of a difference, honestly…"

She reached over Elsa and swatted at him. "No wonder a guy with your charms hasn't got a girlfriend yet."

"That was a low blow," he said loftily. "Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine this morning? Let me guess – bad date last night."

"The worst! I would have totally texted you, but it just needed to be recounted in excruciating detail. I was just telling Elsa about it." Anna quickly summarized the main points for him.

The professor had begun talking, his slides appearing on the big screen in the front. Elsa tuned them out and started scribbling.

"See, now if you would stick to dating men, life would be a whole lot easier." He pulled a packet of carrot sticks out of his bag and started crunching on one. "At least we know better than to take a girl out on a date and then ask her to pay for her share."

"According to you, all men pick their noses and eat it," retorted Anna.

"Well, we don't do it in front of you, do we?"

"Kristoff!"

"What?" he protested. "It makes for great pick-up lines! Like, if you were a booger, I'd pick you!"

"Eeuuuw!" Anna screeched, pummeling him with her small fists. He was easily twice her size but he still cringed to avoid her onslaught.

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Excuse me, you two … but we're in a lecture now?"

Anna opened her mouth in mortification. "… oops?"

The professor, craning his neck for the source of the interruption, pointed at Elsa and asked her a question. Luckily, unlike the other two, she had actually been paying attention and easily gave the correct answer.

The blonde girl turned a frosty stare on her suddenly meek companions. "Sorry," squeaked Anna.

Elsa heaved a long-suffering sigh. She returned her attention to the screen – until ten minutes later, was interrupted by a small snore.

She glanced to her left and sighed again. Anna was sprawled face-forward on her notes, a puddle of drool already forming on the paper.

Kristoff shrugged helplessly at her.

* * *

"Remind me why I even agreed to take this class with you," grumbled Elsa as they left the hall. "I'm busy enough with my own classes as it is and I've already cleared my cross-faculty credit requirements…"

"Easy," said Anna brightly. "So I can copy the notes off you and ace it."

"… So that's why you have the same schedule as Kristoff. Do you sleep in_ all_ your classes?" The blonde girl paused. "No, wait, I shouldn't be asking you." She looked at Kristoff. "Does she?"

Anna glowered and punched his side, hissing something about not telling. He grinned sheepishly.

Elsa turned her disapproving gaze on her, making Anna wilt instantly." "Anna, I thought your studies are a priority?"

She mumbled something about sleep being one as well but a narrowed glance cut that thought short.

Anna pouted. Elsa blinked rapidly, and Kristoff wore an oh-no-here-it-comes-again look.

The older girl shook her head fiercely, her fringe falling to conceal the heat in her face. "Just… just make sure it doesn't happen from now on. Or I _will_ tell Mama and Papa."

* * *

"This sucks," mumbled Anna, leafing idly through a huge textbook. "All these introductory courses are the worst."

Elsa barely looked up from her own textbook. "Do you know what you want to major in then?"

"Sure. Sleeping sounds good…"

The blonde girl huffed. "I'm confident you will top your class without even trying."

Giggling, Anna flung a pillow at the back of Elsa's head. "Hmm – nope. Not sleeping. How about making out? My ex said I'm a pretty good kisser…"

"Which ex is this? And how would she know?" asked Elsa peevishly.

"You know, one of the girls I used to date. She gets around," said Anna quickly, her tone indicating the topic was closed. She scrambled off the bed and hovered behind Elsa's shoulder. "Hey, Elsa?"

She continued to write for a few more minutes, her pen scratching being the only sound in the room. Anna's breath tickled the sensitive hairs of her neck, her stare boring into Elsa's neck.

Finally, she sighed and put her pen down. "Yes, Anna?" she muttered, trying her best to ignore how uncomfortably close the other girl was – and the hot flush crawling up her neck.

"Maybe you should go on a date too," suggested the younger girl brightly. "Find a nice guy. Have a good time. Loosen up!"

Elsa's swivel chair spun around slightly so the blonde girl could stare at her sister. "I don't need to 'loosen up'. I'm fine! I study, I hang out with you and Kristoff, I go to the studio to work…"

"… and that's it."

"What else do I need? I don't need to go out on dates or have a vibrant social life to be happy."

"El – saaa." Anna plopped back on the bed. "A night out won't kill you. Hey, maybe I can get Kristoff to take you to the cinema or something? I'm pretty sure he fancies you. I mean, it wouldn't be awkward for me at all! I am so totally cool if you two decide to make out or something – "

Elsa turned her attention back to her notes. "Anna. That is enough."

" – but he's always sweaty from football, I love that big goof and all, but sometimes I wish he'd take a shower more often. Especially after practice. Whoo, the smell! Unless that's totally your type? Ooh, I know. Maybe I can fix you up with Hans! He's a really nice guy, he's in my psychology and ethics classes, I'm sure he'd love to take you out sometime – "

"_Anna_."

" – he asked me out for coffee once and then tripped on the sidewalk! It was the cutest thing, he was so embarrassed! But then I had to tell him I didn't swing that way, and he was surprisingly cool about it and so we just went as friends. Hey, Elsa, he has twelve older brothers, I'm sure he can introduce you to one of them – "

Elsa slammed her pen on the table. "Anna!"

She rubbed her temples slowly. "Anna, I don't go out on dates with men. I don't go on dates, period. While I appreciate your concern, I think I can manage my own social life just fine."

Anna's mouth was a perfect 'O'.

"You don't _date_?"

"Well, I went on a few in high school, whenever we could sneak out of the school grounds…"

"Did something bad happen?" asked Anna in a small voice, sidling up close, her arms around her sister's shoulders.

"No! Nothing bad happened. They were all very nice, but I just didn't hit it off with them." Elsa exhaled slowly. "Anna – how should I put it – I'm not really interested in men."

"Not interested in men…?"

"Nope," mumbled Elsa, blushing furiously and looking everywhere except at Anna.

Anna squealed in delight. "You like girls too?"

"I… well… that is to say…" She dropped her now scarlet face into her hands.

Anna's eyes grew wider.

Elsa was jolted out of her embarrassment when her sister flung her arms around her neck and hugged her fiercely.

"… oh, Elsa, why didn't you tell me earlier? I mean, _I_ am! Interested in girls, I mean! They're just so cute and cool without all that icky guy stuff that Kristoff's always talking about. Ugh, am I _glad_ we're giving _that_ a wide berth… We could have discussed girly things together and gone on double dates – um, not that you like dates, I was just saying – and – you know!"

Her sister blinked, trying to absorb everything Anna had blurted out. She took a deep breath, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Anna, even though we're sisters, I barely know you. I've been away at boarding school for most of my life. And now we're spending so much time together and – " Elsa paused, hugging herself nervously. "I – I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"Frankly, I – I was scared. Even to admit it to myself, let alone you." Elsa's mouth opened again as if to say something else, but she quickly closed it, shaking her head.

Anna enveloped her in another massive bearhug. "Well, I'm _so_ glad you finally decided to tell me! No more secrets between us from now on?"

Elsa avoided her gaze. "… No. No more secrets."

* * *

"Ugh!"

Elsa looked up from her notes in surprise. "You're home early."

Anna flung herself onto her bed and lay sprawled on the coverlet, her arms flung across her face. "That… that utter _jerk_!"

Her sister rose, crossing the room to sit tentatively next to her. "Who's a jerk?"

"Hans!" she huffed.

Elsa sighed, patting her sister's arm awkwardly, searching for the right thing to say. "… Chocolate?" she asked, pulling a box out from under the bed.

"God, yes. Thank you." Anna took a piece and chewed on it furiously.

"You want to tell me what happened?"

Anna flung an arm back over her eyes and made a sound like an elephant dying. "Hans offered to help me with my term paper if I'd go to his house over Christmas break and pretend to be his girlfriend."

"What'd he do?"

"The torments I endured in that house qualify me for a senior thesis, at least. Twelve grown men, with spouses, nosy parents, bratty children, pets, and in-laws. Now imagine them packed into a small room, bickering non-stop."

Elsa clucked sympathetically. "Sounds like a nightmare."

Anna bolted upright. "Dante's hell had nothing on it. Anyway – after enduring all that, he took me out to dinner as his apology for, I quote: "throwing me to the wolves while wearing a meat dress", she said, making air quotes with her fingers, "and we went to dinner." She gestured at the rather rumpled dress she was wearing.

"Ugh, I forgot I was still wearing this thing. Elsa, help me unzip the back, thanks…" She bent forward, fiddling with the elaborate front.

Elsa's eyes stayed firmly fixed on Anna's face.

She continued to talk as she struggled to shed the dress. "So we had dinner – it was a pretty nice place, by the way, I think you'd love it – and then he drops this bombshell on me." Anna was momentarily distracted by a stuck zipper and started tugging on it, cursing under her breath.

"What bombshell?" asked Elsa, riveted in spite of herself.

It popped free and slipping out of the dress, she discarded it onto the bed. "Bombshell...? Oh! Yes!" Anna snorted. "He said that he thinks that I'm not really a lesbian, I have "unresolved issues" with men, probably from some "traumatic incident from childhood". And apparently, he's also been going around telling people I'm his "reconditioning psychology project" and he's trying to "reorient me back to normal"! Oh, and after dessert, he suddenly drops to one knee and proposes to me!"

"What?!" shrieked Elsa. Anna nodded furiously.

"No shit! He said he thought I was "rehabilitated" enough and that he'd fallen in love with me along the way!"

"So what did you do?" said Elsa slowly, her eyes fairly dancing with mischief. If she knew Anna as well as she did, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"I said yes."

"… Wait, what?"

"… So he could stand up and then I could get a good shot at him!" She drove her fist into her hand with a whacking sound. "Punched him right in the jaw so hard, he fell into the lobster tank." Anna cackled suddenly. "The lobsters weren't too happy about that… Man, was I glad I picked up a few things from Mulan."

The blonde girl started laughing, and didn't stop laughing for a good fifteen minutes. "Anna, you're incredible," she managed at last, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"I know," she beamed. Now clad in her underwear, Anna slumped forward so that her upper half now sprawled across Elsa's lap, sighed happily and reached for the box of chocolates, ignoring the sudden stiffness of her older sister's posture.

Completely disregarding Elsa's reaction, Anna declared: "That's the last I'm hearing from Mr-Frozen-Heart, I'm sure."

Elsa only nodded, her face turning red. Anna shoved the entire contents of the box into her mouth and completely missed the moment.

* * *

Elsa was in the middle of a lovely dream about snow and ice when something jolted her out of it. Slightly grumpy, she opened one eye.

"Elsa? You awake?"

She sighed. "I am now. What's wrong, Anna? It's – " The blonde girl checked her phone. " – 3 am. I went to bed at 1am."

"Nightmare," mumbled the younger girl sleepily. "Can't go back to sleep on my own. Can I sleep with you?"

Instantly, Elsa was wide-awake. "You want to – wait, what?"

"Not sleep with you in _that _way," said Anna, climbing into bed and snuggling in. "Just… sleep…" She trailed off into a massive yawn.

Her sister gulped, going bright crimson at Anna's words. "Anna, I don't think – Anna?"

A gentle snore answered her.

Elsa sighed and rolled over, giving her as much space as she could spare. Just as she was dozing off again, an arm wrapped itself around her waist.

"Mmmph!"

Still snoring, Anna clung to Elsa like an octopus, wrapping arms and legs around the older girl's body and snuggling into her back.

Elsa froze, her breath catching in her throat, not daring to move.

She didn't fall asleep until much later into the night.

* * *

Elsa came back to the room to find utter chaos – actually, a regular occurrence now she was living with her sister.

Anna was the eye of the storm, a flurry of half-finished makeup and panic.

"Elsa! You're back! Could you do me up, please?" She tilted her head at the undone fasteners on her bodice.

The blonde girl swallowed hard – the open dress ended just over the top of lacy black panties. Fighting back a blush, she did up the little hooks with nimble fingers, not letting her fingertips accidentally-on-purpose graze her sister's creamy skin.

"Thanks!" said Anna gratefully, pecking her sister on the cheek as she snatched up her handbag. "I'm already running late, Merida's gonna kill me – "

The fond smile Elsa had been wearing fell despite her best efforts, the name prompting a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Merida?"

It had been three months since her little sister had started seeing Merida, the fiery Scottish girl, and it looked like it was getting serious. Anna waltzed in, humming distractedly after dates, often clutching flowers or stuffed bears that Elsa took to be gifts from her girlfriend.

For some reason, Elsa couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

"Bye, Elsa! See you later!" And with a whiff of perfume, she was gone.

Elsa stood there unmoving. "Bye, Anna," she said quietly. She snatched up her bag and headed out again.

* * *

Elsa came home from the library in the wee hours of the morning (after the librarian found her and literally threw her out). She clattered through the front door, dropping her bag by the entrance, not at all concerned about making noise because Anna was still out –

– and then belatedly, she spotted her lying face-down on her bed.

"Anna?" asked the older girl timidly. She was still dressed in the clothes she wore hours ago when she went out on her date. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, slowly propping herself up on her elbows.

Elsa sat down. "Did something happen?"

"Nope, nothing." Anna caught the look her sister shot her and grinned weakly. "… fine. Yes. Something happened."

"Oh, Anna." The older girl reached across and enveloped her in a massive hug. Anna nuzzled into Elsa's neck, making her blush and draw back.

"Er – do you want to talk about it?" she asked, trying to cover up the flush.

"Bad date. As usual." Anna flung herself backwards, arms spread. "God, and I was on such a good streak… Why do I get all the scumbag women? Where are the lovely young maidens who are sweet and kind and decent and are only dating one person at a time?"

Elsa blinked.

The younger woman made a harrumphing noise. "Yes. Dear Merida was totally cheating on me. Only had three – count'em, three! – suitors back home in Scotland! And before her, Belle was only using me to get back at her stupid split-personality ex. And Rapunzel was only having a bit of fun before she got married to her fiancé!"

"A bit of fun?" echoed Elsa dubiously.

Anna shot her a bitter look. "Wanted to try everything once," she deadpanned.

"I – oh. _Oh_."

"And let's not forget Ursula and Hans and all those other deadbeats in my life. And one's not even female."

The strawberry-blonde sighed. "No, seriously. Where are all the good people?" To Elsa's horror, tears were rapidly welling up in Anna's eyes.

"Anna…?"

With a muffled sob, her sister flung her arms around Elsa's neck and buried her face in the crook of her neck.

The blonde girl sighed. "Oh, Anna. I'm so sorry." She rubbed comforting circles on the sobbing girl's back, her other hand stroking her hair.

Elsa waited until the tears had stopped somewhat before pulling away from the hug slightly. "You know," she said softly, "I'm sure that the perfect person for you is out there somewhere, waiting for you."

Anna gave her a watery smile.

Elsa bit her lip, an arm curled protectively around her midsection. "And in the meantime, I'll always be here for you, Anna," she said, not meeting her sister's eyes. "As your big sister, I mean."

"I know." Pressing her forehead to her sister's shoulder, Anna missed the mumbled second part.

* * *

Anna woke to find Elsa already gone the next morning, which was strange; their shared class was the first of the day and Elsa would surely have woken her up.

But Elsa wasn't in the lecture. Kristoff, shrugging his shoulders, hadn't seen her at all.

Elsa's strange absence continued the next day, and then the next.

Anna spent her free periods searching for her, a copy of Elsa's timetable in hand; the blonde girl was a creature of habit when it came to structuring her day.

She tried the library – no Elsa in the nook near the back. No Elsa sitting beside the fountain in the courtyard.

Elsa wasn't in her cubicle in the architecture studio either.

Practically growling with frustration, Anna stalked out – and then caught sight of a familiar face.

"Hey, Quasi," she said, addressing a thickset young man she recognized as being a fellow architecture major in Elsa's year. "Have you seen Elsa?"

"Wha – Elsa? Oh – you must be Anna," he muttered, putting down his craft knife. "Well, I – uh,, haven't seen her all day."

"Wait, what? But I – oh."

The strawberry-blonde leaned forward, snatching a bell from the bell tower he was working on. "Talk," she commanded.

"Hey! Put that down!"

"Where is my sister?" asked Anna, jingling the bell slightly. He made a grab for it and missed.

Quasi gulped. "Fine. You play dirty pool. She's been here all day, but she told me to warn her if you come looking for her."

Anna handed the model back to him as he heaved a sigh of relief. "… Okay, thanks."

Taking a deep breath, she yelled as loudly as she could. "Elsa!"

The blonde girl swallowed hard.

"ELSA!"

"What is it, Anna?" snapped the older woman, emerging from her hiding place. "You're disturbing everybody in here!"

"We. Need. To talk," she hissed in reply, seizing Elsa's arm and dragging her outside.

"We're talking now," said Elsa irritably.

"That's not what I meant! I – argh, why are you so difficult?" Anna threw her hands up. "You've been avoiding me, and you've been holing yourself up in the studio or the library."

"I'm not avoiding you, I've got these important projects to finish, and term papers and assignments – "

" – there's something else bothering you, Elsa."

Elsa bit her lip, hugging herself.

Anna's eyes were sad. "Is it something I did? Is that why you're avoiding me?"

"N – no! You didn't do anything wrong, Anna – "

"Then why are you shutting me out, Elsa? Why won't you even look at me?" she demanded.

"Please, Anna…"

"Why, Elsa?!"

"Because of this!" And before she knew what happened, Elsa had leaned forward and kissed her.

Anna gave a muffled gasp.

Elsa didn't move, her lips remaining pressed to the younger girl's. A heartbeat passed – the longest in her life – and just when she was about to pull away –

– Anna kissed her back.

The blonde girl felt a thrill of excitement as she felt a tongue running against her lips, her eyes fluttering shut. She moaned and deepened the kiss, curling her fingers around Anna's neck, tangling them in her braids, even as she relished the sensation of Anna's hand cupping her cheek, her fingers on her heated skin –

The spell broke. Elsa stumbled backwards, her eyes wide.

"Anna – I – "

Anna's eyes were hazy, her hair mussed. "Elsa…?"

"I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," stammered the older girl, her hands white-knuckled over her elbows.

"Elsa, you – "

And with that, Elsa turned and fled.

Anna watched her go, completely dumbstruck. Unconsciously, her hand stole up to touch her lips.

* * *

Elsa sat curled up in a corner of the library, legs clutched to her chest, forehead pressed to her knees. It was her favourite position when she was scared or stressed, her coping device when she was far from home.

Now, she screwed up her eyes, hoping she could just disappear.

"Conceal, don't feel," she mumbled.

_I just kissed my _sister_. I as good as admitted I have_ feelings_ for my sister. Feelings that were absolutely _wrong_._

Her traitorous brain kept replaying the memory of the kiss, making her heart skip a beat and her breath hitch –

"… Um, hi."

Elsa's head shot up. Anna crouched in front of her, blushing furiously; she was looking everywhere but directly at her.

Elsa contemplated fleeing in terror, moving to another country and changing her name, or simply passing out. But she found herself squeaking out a "hi".

The younger girl sat down beside her, mimicking her seating position.

"Anna, I…"

"It's okay, Elsa," murmured Anna. "You don't have to apologise for anything. I mean – "

"I'm supposed to be the older sister. I'm supposed to be looking out for you, not having these – these _feelings_…"

Nervously, Anna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, I'm sorry too, Elsa."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"This."

With that, she leaned over, planting a chaste kiss on Elsa's lips. The blonde girl's eyes widened.

"A – Anna?" she stammered as the younger girl drew back.

Anna's gaze was wistful. "I had no idea you felt this way, Elsa. It must have been hard on you when I was going out with all those other girls."

"And I was making things worse for the both of us, when all I really wanted was you."

"… Wait, what?"

The younger girl chuckled ruefully. "Stupid, isn't it? All those years of not seeing you and idolizing that perfect, beautiful, amazing big sister, and when I finally get a chance to spend time with her, I find out those feelings I had weren't entirely sisterly. Because that gorgeous big sister is even more incredible than I'd imagined her to be."

She dropped her head into her hands. "And you know what? It gets even better. I try and distract myself with every other girl on campus and her cousin, and even stupid _Hans. _Because it's wrong to have these romantic feelings for your big sister. So I go out on dates, and all I can think of when I'm with them is _I wonder_ _what's Elsa doing right now_?"

"Anna…"

"I'm always thinking about those things. Like how cute you are when you smile. And even though you always look immaculate, you're a complete mess in the morning. You always know the right things to say when I'm sad. You like the same French chocolates that I do, and yet you always have a box under your bed meant just for me. And sometimes you snort when you laugh, and it's the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

"I do _not_ snort when I laugh."

"Yes, you do. You only pretend you don't."

Elsa stared at her, her expression unreadable.

Anna shifted forward. "I know we shouldn't," she began in a nervous voice, "but I love you, Elsa. More than sisters should." She rested her hand on the blonde girl's. Elsa didn't pull away. "More than anyone else I've ever loved in my life." With her free hand, she pushed back her fringe. "And right now, I really don't care what everybody thinks of this."

"What matters most is what you'd think of me," finished the strawberry-blonde in the smallest, most fragile voice Elsa had ever heard her sister use.

The blonde girl touched Anna's cheek gently.

"I think," she whispered, her breath making soft beats against the younger girl's skin, "that you think too much."

And then she closed the final distance with a soft kiss.

* * *

The sisters were still inseparable as always when the new school term began, with Anna talking nineteen to the dozen to a faintly amused Elsa.

But the subject of conversation wasn't disastrous dates anymore, and if you looked closely, you could see how their fingers were interlinked.

The other students did wonder when Anna had been taken off the dating scene and by whom, but the strawberry-blonde always shrugged off their questions with a wink and smile.

* * *

"Morning."

"Mmm. Morning." Still half-asleep, Elsa leaned over to kiss Anna's cheek.

Anna pouted and seized the blonde girl's face, kissing her properly.

"Too early for this…"

"No, it isn't, you prude."

Grinning in spite of herself, Elsa got out of bed and shuffled around the room, searching for her clothes. She caught sight of herself in the mirror in passing and gave a little scream.

"Anna, you idiot!" The blonde girl prodded the red mark on her neck in dismay. "Look at what you did!"

The younger girl slipped her arms around her lover's waist from behind, nipping her neck and drawing a hiss. "Well, you sounded pretty happy about it last night…"

Elsa swatted her. "Idiot," she said again, but made no move to disengage herself from Anna's embrace.

The strawberry-blonde rested her head against Elsa's shoulder.

"Elsa?"

"Yes, Anna?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, you brat – Anna! What do you think you're doing with that – oh. _Ohhhh_."


End file.
